Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

There are signs that green shoots are starting to flourish economically.  The latest card spending data from Stats NZ shows retail spending was up 1.6-percent last month, compared to November last year.  Spending was up across the board - on the likes of groceries, household items and clothes. ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley told Ryan Bridge that the GDP for the second half of the year has had a strong rebound.  He says they're expecting 0.8 percent for the upcoming quarter. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could different portion sizes for each sex reduce obesity? According to one UK-based expert, it could.  Professor Naveed Sattar says portion sizes at restaurants are often calibrated towards an adult male - and could be too much for women, children and shorter people.  Nutritionist Mikki Williden told Ryan Bridge that there's lots of variables.  She says the focus shouldn't be on the difference between the sexes - but smaller portion sizes generally isn't a bad option.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden's refutes claims her minimum wage increase is 'piddly'.  The minimum wage will rise to 23-dollars-and-95-cents next April -- a 45 cent increase.  Labour's called the hike 'piddly and weak' -- while also claiming in real terms, it's a pay cut for some New Zealanders.  Van Velden told Ryan Bridge that's simply not true as it aligns with forecast inflation.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Gloriavale leader Howard Temple has been sentenced to 26 months in jail for sexual offending.  He had indecently assaulted young women and girls over a 20 year period at Gloriavale as recently as 2022. It comes as newly released documents show just how explicitly the government has been warned by its agencies that Gloriavale is not a safe place for women and girls.  The lawyer who previously represented Gloriavale leavers Dennis Gates told Ryan Bridge that, "What you basically have here is institutionalised domestic violence on a macro scale." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in the UK, a last minute offer from the health secretary could stop a planned doctors' strike from going forward. Resident doctors are set to go on strike next week over pay, working conditions and lack of training opportunities. UK correspondent Enda Brady says the nation is being hit hard by a flu surge and authorities are warning people to start wearing masks again. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The global dairy market is expected to face a period of weaker commodity prices off the back of a growth-filled 2025. According to Rabobank's Q4 Global Dairy Quarterly Report, global milk production growth is estimated to have peaked in Q3 2025. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Ali Jones from Red PR and Brigitte Morton from Franks Ogilvie joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  The Taxpayers' Union has released some packaged fudge taking aim at Nicola Willis' track record as a Finance Minister - ahead of the debate between her and Ruth Richardson that's supposed to be taking place. What do we make of all this?   The US is reportedly looking to require tourists to hand over their social media accounts in order to travel there. How do we feel about this? Would it put you off travelling to the US? Cancer diagnoses are set to skyrocket in the next 20 years, but experts say at least half of these could be prevented if we smoked less, drank less, ate better and got more exercise. Do we need to take more responsibility for our health?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump has every right to crack down on the American border. There are problems there that we, down here in little old New Zealand, just don't understand. Illegal migration sounds to us like a far away and non-threatening concept because, well, it is. Thank you, ocean. And if you believe everything the liberal international media serves up and that this is an issue invented by tyrants like Trump to retain their grip on power, look at Starmer, the lovely leftie Labour leader of Great Britain. In case you missed it - Starmer, this week, has signed a piece of paper asking Europe to kindly redefine human rights because the current definition is a little too generous. Yes, Labour's man at number 10 wants to narrow human rights. He wants to be able to kick more asylum seekers out of Britain, because the cost and burden of daily arrivals of boats is simply unsustainable. And the British public had enough of it long ago. Enter Farage. So this is not a figment of a dictators' imagination, but a genuine political problem. So, back to Trump. He's cracking down at the border and new rules are coming for us Kiwis, and other visa waiver countries. This applies to tourists - a visit to Hawaii is all it takes. In order to gain entry, you will have to hand over five years of your social media activity. It's mandatory. You'll also need to supply your telephone numbers for the past five years and email addresses for the past decade. Now, I'm no terrorist - but this sounds like a lot. So I probably won't be visiting America anytime soon. Too hard basket. If you had to go for a funeral or and event or something important, you would. But to be honest, I'll probably just go to Mexico. Getting over the bureaucratic wall to the States is feeling a little too hard basket. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 11 December 2025, the Health Minister reacts to a report that predicts the number of cancer diagnoses is expected to skyrocket - and why he wouldn't eat KFC. US Immigration lawyer Brian Hunt explains why travellers to the US will soon be asked to provide five years worth of social media history - and what border officials will look for. Jetstar has been rapped over the knuckles for using dodgy scales at Wellington Airport. Plus, the Huddle debates Nicola Willis' fudge and why the big debate against Ruth Richardson has taken on such a life of its own. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The water service delivery plans have been submitted by local councils and evaluated, and the total is set to hit over $47 billion. Councils handed over these proposals as part of the Government's Local Water Done Well scheme and the Local Government Minister is hopeful these plans will go on to benefit ratepayers. Minister Simon Watts says these proposals have all been signed off and things are in a good place to get going.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.